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The Mariners have the best offer on the table at three years between $11-12 million per year, sources said. The Dodgers have offered three years at about $10 million per season. The Diamondbacks reportedly offered something close to that.
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Industry sources said Kuroda's final decision will be between the Dodgers and the Mariners.
Hickey goes on to allege that Kuroda doesn't want a four-year contract because he'd like to leave open the possibility of returning to Japan before he's too old. Which is good. If only Jarrod Washburn had made the same request.
I think my favorite part of the article is this:
And I could cut a puppy in half and call it a knapsack. If there's any lesson we should've learned from the front office by now, it's that we shouldn't trust its opinions of things.
So anyway, it looks like we'll shortly find out where Kuroda's headed. And I have to be honest, while I'm not wild about potentially signing the guy for $33-36m over three years, I'm equally terrified of what happens if we don't. Maybe Kuroda's better than the hazy, threatening unknown alternative. It's like the difference between getting a shot at the clinic and stubbing your toe in the backyard. You can brace yourself for the needle. You see it coming. Pain sucks more when it takes you by surprise.
The Mariner offseason had to begin sometime. Hang on to your neighbor, because this rollercoaster's crazy, and it doesn't have seatbelts.